The Chiefs Decision To Cut Jeremy Maclin Via Voicemail Is Both Extremely Unprofessional And Very Relatable

ProFootballTalk- If you were surprised to learn that Maclin had been cut, Maclin was, too. On a scale of one to 10, Maclin’s surprise factor was, he said, “Eleven.”

How did he find out?

“Through a voicemail,” Maclin said. “[From G.M.] John Dorsey. I was upset, I was shocked. Apparently, they had been trying to trade me for two or three months. Which who knows if that’s true or not? I would just think that . . . a guy who is going into his ninth year would know if he’s being shopped or not. It is what it is. I still have respect for Big Red, still have respect for the organization. I’m not going to bad mouth anybody or talk any dirt on anybody. It was an unfortunate situation. They felt like they didn’t want me as a player anymore, so it is what it is. I’m happy with where I am right now, and I think that might be the last time I talk about what I call my former life. So I don’t think I want to talk about that anymore.”

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Make no mistake, Chiefs' General Manager John Dorsey handled this very, very poorly. Jeremy Maclin is a proud professional that left it all out on the field - to varying levels of success - for Kansas City the last two seasons. He at least deserved a chance to respond to what must have been a pretty shocking message, and in all honesty he probably deserved the opportunity to do so in person. Obviously it wouldn't have eased the blow to his (now former) wide receiver's ego or changed the outcome at all. Still, rushing through a voicemail to avoid a difficult conversation with someone that wouldn't exactly be welcoming to the context of it requires a pretty pathetic lack of professionalism..........that the average person can totalllllly relate to.

I don't want to encourage this type of bush league behavior from an executive that makes millions upon millions of dollars off the hard work of the athletes that he won't even bless with common courtesy. However, that thrill he experienced as the tone sounded following a set of rings that seemed to last a goddamn eternity? Boy, oh boy, it would be nothing short of hypocritical for me to criticize a man for following up that orgasmic sense of relief by dropping some cold, harsh reality free of feedback. Of course he could have hung up and tried again at a later time, but - if he's anything like me - giving that awkward "we need to talk..." disclaimer makes him want to die. Repeatedly calling someone to  deliver bad news until you get a non-automated answer from an actual human person in real time? As far as I am concerned, that's the equivalent of playing Russian Roulette. How many times would you pull the trigger before clicking the proverbial safety button and saving yourself from an incredibly uneasy dialogue? Exactly.